The latest data from APHIS shows that Limousin and Aberdeen Angus continue to be the most popular beef sire breeds in Northern Ireland.
Analysis of the data conducted by the LMC (Livestock and Meat Commission) shows that both breeds accounted for 24.9% of registrations from January to August 2022.
Angus’ popularity has slightly increased from 2021 levels of 24.8% of beef-sired calf registrations. Meanwhile, Limousin levels have also fallen slightly from the same period in 2021, when 25.2 % of beef calves registered were Limousin.
Beef sire breeds
Moreover, Charolais was the third most commonly registered calf in NI during the eight months of 2022, with 63,284 calves registered. This equated to almost 22% of registrations, back slightly from 22.4% in the corresponding period last year.
The LMC reported that there have also been slight changes in the proportion of other breeds of beef-sired calves registered.
Belgian Blue made up 6.7% of beef-sired calf registrations to date in 2022, which is up from 6.3% in the same period in 2021.
Meanwhile, the share of Hereford beef sired calf registrations has declined slightly to 6.8 % between January to August 2022 from 7.2% in the corresponding period last year.
The latest data on calf registrations from APHIS between January and August 2022 show there were 378,029 calves registered in Northern Ireland.
The LMC notes that this is a slight increase from the 377,934 calves registered during the same eight-month period last year.
During 2022 to date, 76% of calves registered in Northern Ireland were beef sired, while the remaining 24% were dairy sired.
This has changed slightly from 75% and 25%, respectively, during the corresponding period in 2021.
During last month, there were 24,880 beef calves registered in Northern Ireland, which brings the total for the year to date to 288,687 head, an increase of 3,542 head or 1.2% from the same period last year.
Between January and August 2022, beef-sired calf registrations to suckler cows increased by 1,928 head from the same period in 2021 and accounted for 67% of all beef-sired calf registrations.
The remaining 33% cent of beef-sired calf registrations were to dairy cows, and these increased by 1,658 head during 2022 to date.
Dairy-sired calf registrations
According to the LMC’s report, between January and August 2022, there were 89,342 dairy-sired calves registered in Northern Ireland, with 68% of these registered as female calves.
In the same period last year, there were 92,789 dairy-sired calves registered, with 63% of these calves registered as female.
Meanwhile, in2022 to date, there have been 28,206 dairy-sired male calves registered in Northern Ireland, back by 18% or 6,240 head from the 34,446 calves registered in the same eight-month period in 2021.
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